12 november 2017

Sewing for older boys can be quite a challenge. They develop their own style and have lots of opinions about what is cool enough to wear these days. But when I listen to them and sew something that matches with their ideas, they are by far my most grateful customers.

Testing the new kids version of the Trailblazer Vest pattern by Twig&Tale seemed the perfect opportunity to hit the bull's eye. It includes pockets and zipper, a collar and has the opportunity to sew a warm puffer style version, so it's perfect for the grown up look my boys love. There is also a nice windflap, which I omitted in this version, because I wanted those matching chevron stripes to be visible. The instructions are very detailed - there is even a video on how to sew the zipper - and meant to hold a beginner's hand. They walk you through the construction from beginning to end.

The outer fabric is a thin cotton from Michael Miller quilted onto thick and fluffy batting. I had lots of fun playing around with the quilting design and used chevrons, horizontal and vertical stripes and a little piece of piping on the back yoke. With quilting, using piping and colourblocking, the possibilities to get creative are almost endless.

The lining is made out of one of the softest fabrics I've ever worked with: organic cotton sherpa by Michael Miller. Most organic cottons are softer than regular ones, but this one is pure heaven.

Not only does the kid feel cool now, he must be wrapped in the coziest garment I've ever sewn.

This vest exists in a grown-up men's version, too, and there is a lovely fisherman's add-on with lots of extra pockets for treasure hunters of all types. Today is the last day the pattern is on sale, so if you want it, grab it quick!

Last winter I sewed an Ila dress that turned out to be a huge hit with my daughter. No matter if the weather was freezing or hot, if the occasion was fitting or not, she wore the dress whenever she could. When it started to resemble a tunic more than a dress, I knew it was time for a new one.

Sleeves were left out, she prefers layering her dresses with longsleeves in winter. It is still a bit long now, but since the girl seems to be growing at light speed these days, it won't be long before this dress has reached tunic length, too...

A few cold days and shivering kids were my wake up call to start thinking about warm winterplans. Hot water bottle covers had been on our wishlist for quite some time already. Nothing beats warming up in bed with a book and a warm water bottle after coming home cold and wet from school (Dutch kids cycle, you know...).

But then the kids found out about the Wild things hotties by Twig&Tale, hot water bottle covers that look like animals. They loved the idea and their imagination ran away with them. Could you also make a jellyfish? Or a frog? Or a horse? Please, mummy, let's make a new animal. Now I have to tell you a secret: I'm not a drawing artist. Or designer. At all. But I do love those kids, so I tried anyway. Tongue out of my mouth and hours of erasing, tearing it up, starting again, and all of a sudden... a horse was born!

And here is the good news: We weren't the only ones who liked him, and thanks to a collaboration with Lisa from Twig&Tale it is now available as a free add-on to the original Wild Things hotties pattern. Yay! For a full pattern and tutorial, you need the general pattern as well. But with all the cute designs, that won't be a punishment at all, I promise you. And if you're fast: the Wild Things hot water bottle cover pattern is on sale today only.Pattern: Wild Things hot water bottle coversfree horse add-on and tutorial, both at Twig&TaleFabrics: Upcycled towels.

27 juli 2017

A while ago a little girl was born into our family, and of course I couldn't resist sewing her a little welcome gift. I simply love sewing for babies. Making them something special feels like a way of acknowledging what a miracle the arrival of a new person really is.

Another great thing about baby sewing is the little amounts of fabric you need. This ensemble was entirely made out of little scraps of delicous double gauze left over from this dress.

The little dress is the Grace dress, a free pattern. It has a few different views and closes with buttons in the back. The double gauze would have combined well with some lace or embroidery embellishments, but I think I love the simple look even more.

The shoes in size 1 are so tiny that I wasn't sure if I could put them together nicely. It turned out to be no problem, especially with these thin fabrics. The shoes are fully reversible, so should the nani iro not match her outfit of the day, they can be turned into a plain pink pair. The Wayfarer shoes pattern comes in a wide range of sizes up to 9 years old, so my kids are already picking fabrics...

The Pixie pants were recently upgraded with a lot of cute romper options, but I picked the simplest pants version in linen that can survive all kinds outdoor adventures. Because I like little surprises, I lined the pockets with the blouse fabric and embellished with a piece of cotton lace. Personalizing a piece of clothing doesn't always have to take a lot of effort, right?

The top was made from a soft cotton voile, perfect for real hot days. I practised with my rolled hem foot on the collar, which was probably not the smartest idea, because rolled hems on curves are a bit challenging to say the least. But I think I won!

19 mei 2017

When I made my first girls version of the Geneva cardigan, in my head I was planning out boys options already. I loved the ribbed band option the moment I saw it, and immediately thought it would look awesome with a zipper. Boys love zippers and putting a zipper in any garment is basically a guarantee for a happy kid around here.

Since the pattern already has more options than you can reasonably ask from a pattern designer, I decided to hack it. And to put together a tutorial for all of you to enjoy (keep reading if you want to see it).

This post is part of a fun blogtour showcasing lots of lovely Geneva cardigans. Do check them out if you want to see some truly inspirational examples:

And today is the last day you can buy any Coffee&Thread pattern with a 15% discount with the code 'GENEVAPATTERNTOUR'

Zipper tutorial

For a size 11 cardigan I used a 45 cm separating zipper, some thin interfacing and regular single fold bias tape.

First redraw your front bodice pattern piece. Draw 2 new lines at 0.5 cm distance perpendicular to the center front line. One will be your new fold line the other one is the cutting line and marks the seam allowance. Cut your fabric along the new cutting line and interface the seam allowance with a 1.5 cm wide strip of thin interfacing.

Separate the zipper and put one half facing down (right side of zipper facing right side of fabric) with the zipper stop at 1 cm below the neckline. Measure the width of your zipper and make sure the middle of the zipper teeth are placed exactly at 1.5 cm from the edge of the fabric. Pin and sew the zipper at 1 cm from the fabric edge. Repeat on the other side.

Attach the ribbed neckband following the instructions and make sure the neckband ends just next to the zipper.

Now fold the zipper outwards on both sides, making it dissapear between two layers of fabric. Pin your bias tape on top with the right side facing down and sew with 1 cm seam allowance. Clip corners and turn. Sew pockets and sleeves as described in the instructions.

Attach bias tape to the bottom hem at 0.7 cm from the edge.

Fold the bias tape upwards and fold your hem allowance upwards. The right side of the zipper faces down on the right side of the fabric.

Stitch a vertical line extending the stitching line on the zipper. Clip corners and turn.

Topstitch the bias tape close to the edge.

Topstitch along zipper and neckband as described in the instructions. Make sure to catch the zipper in the topstitching.